Well-sinking apparatus.



PATENTED SEPT, 13, 1904.

M. T. CHAPMAN.

WELL SINKING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 2, 1901.

V 4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

NO MODEL.

No. 769,727. PATENTED SEPT. 13, 1904. M. T. CHAPMAN.

WELL SINKING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 2, 1901.

N0 MODEL- 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No. 769,727. PATENTED SEPT. 13, 1904.

' M. '1. CHAPMAN.

WELL SINKING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 2, 1901.

NO MODEL. 4 SHEETS-SHEET a.

PATENTED SEPT. 13, 1904.

M. T. CHAPMAN.

WELL SINKING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 2, 1901.

4 SHEETB-SEEET 4.

N0 MODEL.

JZ L JQQQQL Mm M/ Patented September 13, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

MATTHEXV T. CHAPMAN, OF AURORA, ILLINOIS.

WELL-SINKING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 769,727, dated September 13, 1904.

Application filed November 2, 1901. Serial No. 80,861. (No model.)

To It 'llr/mm/ if 'llMl-Z/ ('oltcern:

Be it known that I, MATTHEW T. CHAPMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Aurora, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in ell-Sinking Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in machinery designed for the sinking of wells by the rotation of well tubing or pipe, as is now commonly practiced in those sections of the country where the character of the soil is such as to permit of the formation of the well in this manner, such means being particularly adapted for the sinking of very deep wells, either for water or oil.

My invention relates particularly to the means by which the tubing or pipe that is to be sunk is gripped and held in order to rotate it, while at the same time permitting a free endwise movement of the tubing or pipe through the clamping means.

My improved clamping means consists, generally speaking, of a plurality of jaws each comprising a series of links pivoted together, each link having its acting face provided with serrations or other means for suitably engaging the surface of the pipe to be sunk, suchseries of links being loosely attached to and movable upon a suitable support, around which support the several links of the series move, either fast or slow, according to the rapidity of the lengthwise movement of the pipe, and against which support they have a firm bearing when in contact with the pipe being operated upon. As in all machines of this same general type, the jaws are mounted upon a rotatable platform, and one or more of such jaws should be provided with means for moving it or them toward and away from the pipe. In practice 1 have found the best results to flow from a construction wherein all of the jaws are adapted to be moved, and I have therefore illustrated a construction providing for the simultaneous and corresponding movement of both of the jaws shown.

My invention also contemplates means whereby the jaws after once being set or adjusted to properly operate upon a given size of tube or pipe can be very quickly raised out of engagement with such tube or pipe by an attendant, or in case the pipe is forced upward from some natural cause the jaws will be instantly released from contact with such pipe, thereby avoiding liability of damage to the jaws or other portions of the machine. By my construction the release of the jaws either by an attendant or by reason of the pipe being forced up as suggested is so accomplished as not to destroy the general adjustment of the jaws, and thereby the jaws can be immediately replaced in position to again engage the pipe without any special trouble or adjusting on the part of the operator.

It is also my object to provide devices and combinations of devices looking to the improvement of this class of machines generally.

That which .I regard as new will be set forth in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side view, partly in section. Fig. 2 is a plan view, partly in section. Fig. 3 is an end view. Fig. 4c is a section at line at 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a section at line 5 5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a section at line 6 6 of Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a detail, being a perspective view of one of the links of the jaw. Fig. 8 is an end view of the link shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a side view of such link; and Fig. 10 is a detail, being a plan view of one of the end plates of the machine.

In the drawings, 11 indicates a rotatable platform having a gear-ring 12 on its under face, with which a beveled driving-gear 13 is adapted to mesh, said gear being suitably mounted on a drive-shaft 14. i

15 indicates an annular support formed with p with heavy base-flanges, as shown. The ends are secured to the side walls by guides 22, that project into suitable recesses in the side walls, whereby by means of the devices hereinafter referred to the said end walls can be made to move toward or from the center of the machine, and thereby adjust the jaws to suit different diameters of pipe.

Referring now to the construction of the jaws shown, 23 indicates two plates, between which is inserted a block 24, the front and rear faces of which are straight and parallel, as clearly shown in the sectional portion of Fig. 1, and the ends of which are curved or rounded. The two plates 23 and the block 24 are firmly united by bolts 25 or in any other suitable manner. The face of this block is provided with a wide groove 26, as best shown in Fig. 5.

27 indicates a series of links for each jaw, each link being provided on its rear face with a pair of alined ears 28v and a single ear 29, such single car being adapted to fit between a pair of the alined ears 28 on another corresponding link, the various links being joined together to form an endless chain by means of pivots 30, passing through the ears 28 and 29. An endless chain of these links 27 is secured around and upon the block 24, the ears 28 and 29 projecting into the groove 26 on the face of the block 24. On each end of each pivot 30 is journaled a roller 30*, that travels on the face of the block 24 at each side of the groove 26. The sides of the plates 23, as shown, project beyond the edges of the block 24 and cover the ends of the pivots 30 and hold the rollers 30 in place. The outer face 31 of each link 27 is, as shown, approximately V-shaped and provided with a number of teeth or corrugations to adapt such link when forcibly pressed against a pipe or tube to bite or cut into the surface of such pipe or tube sufiiciently to hold such pipe or tube and cause it to rotate with the rotation of the platform upon which the jaws are mounted. Instead of the teeth or corrugations shown any other suitable face could be provided that would cause a sufficiently firm engagement to hold the pipe and rotate it.

32 indicates a shaft passing centrally through the block 24 and its side plates 23, on which shaft, near opposite ends thereof, are journaled two arms 33, which are held tightly against the outer faces of said plates 23 by suitable nuts 34. The outer ends of each pair of arms are keyed or otherwise firmly secured to another shaft 34, journaled in suitable bearings 35, projecting inward and preferably formed with the end wall 20, ordinary boxings 36 being bolted over the shaft, as shown.

37 indicates rollers, a pair being located on the ends of each shaft 32. These rollers are adapted to move on tracks 38, formed on the upper edge of the side walls 21.

39 indicates a pair of screw-threaded rods located at opposite sides of the machine and each formed with a left-hand thr'eadfor one half of its length and with a right-hand thread for the other half, between which halves is located a squared head 40, adapted to receive an ordinary wrench. At each side of the head 40 is a standard 41, having an unthreaded opening through which the right and left hand screw-threaded portions of the rod 39 respectively pass, said standards 41 being preferably cast with the side walls 21, as shown. Each sliding end wall 20 is provided with an end extension 42, through a screw-threaded opening in each of which one of the screw-threaded portions of one of the rods 39 passes, from which it will be evident that upon such rods 39 being turned, by means of a wrench applied to the squared heads 40, the sliding end walls will be simultaneously moved nearer to or farther away from the center of the machine, carrying with them, of course, the jaws, which are attached to such end walls through the arms 33 and shaft 34. In order that this movement of the two jaws may be effected uniformly and without binding and by one operator turning only one of the rods 39, connections are provided consisting of disks 43, one on each end of each rod 39, to each pair of which disks at each end of the machine is connected a rod 44, the rods being eccentrically secured to such disks and the connections at one end being preferably at points at right angles to the points of connection at the other end to avoid meeting with dead-centers. This manner of connecting up a pair of screwthreaded rods for simultaneously and evenly controlling the movement of a pair of jaws is old and well understood.

It is sometimes desirable that the grip of the jaws on a well tube or pipe that is being sunk be released very quickly by the attendant, and it isalso desirable that provision be made for releasing such grip when through some natural force, such as the sudden striking of a large body of oil or water that shoots upward with great force, the well tube or pipe is carried upward, and I have therefore provided means which can be very quickly operated by an attendant to release the grip of the jaws and which will also be operated automatically when the pipe is forced upward from any cause. These means, and especially the provision for automatically releasing the jaws when the pipe is forced upward by natural causes, such as suggested, are very important in that they will frequently save the jaws and other portions of the machinery from serious injury. The means by which this is accomplished I will now describe.

As will be noticed, the shafts 34 are extended at one side of the machine, so as to project a short distance beyond the wall 21, and on each projecting end is secured a beveled gear-wheel 45, with each of which meshes another beveled gear-wheel 46, these beveled ICC gear-Wheels 46 being slidingly secured on a shaft 47, supported near its ends in bearings 48, that are formed on the outer end of an arm 4E8, which arm is preferably cast with, but may be suitably secured to, the end wall 20, said bearings 48 and beveled gear 46 moving on the shaft 47 as the end wall 20 moves, the gear-wheel I6 being prevented from turning on such shaft 47 by a feather 51.

49 indicates a pair of posts supporting the central portion of the shaft IT, between which posts 49 is a squared head 50, formed on said shaft i7. The beveled gears last referred to are so arranged that upon a wrench being applied to the squared head 50 and the shaft i7 turned the shafts 34: will be each so turned as to raise the arms 33, connected therewith, which arms, as stated, are secured firmly to the shafts 3%, and the raising of such arms 33 of course raises the jaws up and away from the pipe that they have been in contact with, their position when raised and retracted being substantially as indicated in dotted lines on the left-hand side of Fig. 1. In case of the forcing upward of the pipe by reason of some natural force encountered such upward movement of the pipe will of itself tend to carry the jaws out of contact with it and into substantially the position indicated in said dotted lines.

In addition to the advantages specified there is a further and important advantage arising from this construction, which is that when the jaws are swung upward and backward, as described, either by an attendant or by a natural force that raises the pipe, the jaws will not be so disturbed or moved out of position as to prevent them from being swung back into clamping position whenever it is desired that they again clamp the pipe. It is evident, therefore, that the jaws having been once properly adjusted for a certain size of pipe, so as to bite or engage the pipe with sufficient force to turn it, will not have to be reset or readjusted, and thus much valuable time wasted, no matter how many times or for what causes the jaws have been swung up and disengaged from their clamping connection with the pipe.

By my construction of jaw it is evident that I provide a very large number, comparatively speaking, of engaging faces adapted to contact with and hold a pipe in order to rotate the same, and this provision of a large number of jaw-faces is deemed of great value, for by such construction I provide jaws of very much longer life than the ordinary working jaws, as in the ordinary working jaws each working face is constantly in contact with the pipe being operated upon, while, as is evident from the drawings and the foregoing description. my improved jaw is provided with a large number of working faces, of which a large number are at all times free from contact with the pipe. It is therefore evident that in the operation of a machine equipped with my improved devices it will not be necessary to renew the jaws with the frequency that such renewals have to be made in machines employing jaws com irising a plurality of wheels or rolls that are constantly in contact with the tube or pipe being sunk. .It is evident also that a very powerful gripping of the pipe can be had by the employment of jaws such as herein described, for there will be with each jaw two or more points of contact one above another, so that in the eventof one contact-face failing to'properly bite or cut into the wall of the pipe, owing to the teeth or edges thereon being dulled from use, one or more of the other contact-faces then against the pipe will properly engage the pipe so as to turn it. By reason of the shape of the block 24, which is shown as having straight parallel side faces and curved ends, it evident that those links of the jaw engaged in contacting the pipe or tube will be firmly and securely braced or held by reason of their inner ends or cars 28 and 29 bearing against the straight surface of the block Q-f nearest to the pipe, which straight surface is also substantially parallel with the wall of the pipe, the jaws as a whole being at the same time braced or held by their arms 33, which extend back to and are secured to the shaft 34. The chain of links 27 being secured upon the block 2st so as to freely move thereon it is evident that as the pipe descends the contact of one or more of the links with such pipe will cause such chain of links to move around and upon said block 2st, the rollers on the pivots of the links permitting this with but slight frictional resistance, and as one link becomes disengaged from the tube or pipe its place is immediately taken by another link.

In several figures of the drawings I have illustrated a section of ordinary well pipe or tubing and have indicated the same by A, and the positions of the jaws with respect to this pipe are there shown.

That which [claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a rotatable platform, of a pair of jaws mounted thereon, each jaw comprising an endless chain, and a support therefor consisting of a block having a groove in its face, in which groove said chain is adapted to move, substantially as specified.

2. The combination with a rotatable platform, of a pair of jaws mounted thereon, each jaw comprising an endless chain, and a support therefor consisting of a block having parallel side faces and rounded ends, substantially as specified.

3. The combination with a rotatable platform, of a pair of jaws mounted thereon, each jaw comprising an endless chain, and a support therefor consisting of a block having a straight outer face to present a bearing for IIO the inner ends of the chain-links when such links are in working position, substantially as specified.

4. The combination with a rotatable platform, of a pair of jaws mounted thereon, each jaw comprising an endless chain, and a support therefor consisting of a block grooved in its face to provide a guiding-way for the chain, and having a straight outer face to form a bearing for the inner ends of the chainlinks when such links are in working position, substantially as specified.

5. The combination with a rotatable platform, of a pair of jaws mounted thereon, each jaw comprising an endless chain, and a support therefor consisting of a block and side plates secured thereto, said side plates extending beyond the edges of the block, the said chain passing around said block and being movable thereon, substantially-as specified.

6. The combination with a rotatable platform, of a pair of jaws mounted thereon, each of said jaws comprising an endless chain the several links of which are each formed of a block having ears adapted to receive connecting-pivots and having a biting-face adapted to engage a pipe or tube, and a support for such chain, said support consisting of a block and two side plates extending beyond the edges of the block and opposite the ends of the said connecting-pivots, substantially as specified.

7 The combination with a rotatable platform, and a pair of movable jaws carried by said platform and adapted to grasp and hold a tube or pipe located between them to rotate such pipe and at the same time permitting an endwise movement of such tube or pipe, of an arm attached to each jaw, and means for automatically causing a disengaging of the pipe or tube from the grasp of the jaws when said pipe or tube is moved upward, substantially as specified.

8. The combination with a rotatable platform, and a pair of movable jaws carried by said platform and adapted to grasp and hold a tube or pipe located between them to rotate such pipe and at the same time permitting an endwise movement of such tube or pipe, of an arm attached to each jaw, means connected to said arms for forcing said jaws inward toward such pipe and means for automatically causing a disengaging of the pipe or tube from the grasp of the jaws when said pipe or tube is moved upward, substantially as specified.

9. The combination with a rotatable platform, and a pair of movable jaws adapted to grasp and hold a tube or pipe located between them and at the same time permitting an endwise movement of such tube or pipe, of an arm attached to each jaw, shafts to which the opposite ends of said arms are fixed, and means for turning said shafts to raise said jaws, substantially as specified.

10. The combination with a rotatable platform, and a pair of movable jaws adapted to. grasp and hold a tube or pipe located between them and at the same time permitting anend wise movement of such tube or. pipe,- of an arm attached to each jaw, shafts to which the opposite ends of said arms are fixed, a movable support for each shaft, and means for turning said shafts, substantially as specified.

11. The combination with a rotatable platform, and a pair of movable jaws adapted to grasp and hold a tube or pipe located between them and at the same time permitting an endwise movement of such tube or pipe, of an arm attached to each jaw, shafts to which the opposite ends of said arms are fixed, a movable support for each shaft, and a connection between said two shafts by which they may be simultaneously moved, substantially as specified.

12. The combination with a rotatable platform, and a pair of movable jaws adapted to grasp and hold a tube or pipe located between them and at the same time permitting an endwise movement of such tube or pipe, of an arm attached to each jaw, shafts to which the opposite ends of said arms are fixed, a movable support for each shaft, bevel-wheels on each of said shafts, a cross-shaft, and bevel wheels carried on said cross-shaft and meshing with the first-named bevel-wheels, substantially as specified.

18. The combination with a rotatable platform, and a pair of movable jaws adapted to grasp and hold a tube or pipe located between them and at the same time permitting an endwise movement of such tube or pipe, of an arm attached to each jaw, shafts to which the opposite ends of said arms are fixed, a movable support for each shaft, bevel-wheels on each of said shafts, a cross-shaft journaled in the said movable support, and bevel-wheels carried by said cross-shaft and meshing with said first-named bevel-wheels, substantially as specified.

14. The combination with a rotatable platform, of a movable jaw carried thereby and an opposing jaw, said jaws being adapted to grip a tube or pipe to rotate it and at the same time permit an endwise movement of such tube or pipe, rollers connected with said movable jaws, a track for said rollers to run upon, and means for moving said movable jaws toward and away from the center of the machine, substantially as specified.

15. The combination with a rotatable platform, of a movable jaw comprising a series of links, asupport therefor upon which said links are adapted to move, rollers carried by said support, a track for said rollers, means for moving said jaw toward and away from the center of the machine and another jaw opposing said movable jaw, substantially as specified.

16. A clamping-jaw for the purpose described, consisting of an endless chain the links of which have their outer faces formed to bite or otherwise engage the surface of a tube or pipe, in combination with a block having a groove in its face, on which block and in said groove said chain is adapted to move when in use, substantially as specified.

17. A clamping-jaw for the purpose described, consisting of an endless chain the links of which have their outer faces formed to bite or otherwise engage the surface of a tube or pipe, in combination with a supporting-block on which said chain is movably secured, said block having straight parallel side faces and curved or rounded end faces, substantially as specified.

18. A clamping-jaw for the purpose described, consistingof an endless chain, in combination with a supporting-block on which said chain is movably secured, said block having a straight outer face to form a bearing for the inner ends of the chain-links when such links are in working position, substantially as specified.

19. A clamping-jaw for the purpose described, consisting of an endless chain, in combination with a supporting-block on which said chain is movably secured, said block being grooved in its face to provide a guiding way for said chain and having a straight outer face to form a bearing for the inner ends of the links of the chain when such links are in working position, substantially as specified.

20. A clamping-jaw for the purpose described, consisting of an endless chain, in combination with a supporting-block on which said chain is movably secured, the several links of the chain being each formed of a block having ears adapted to receive connecting-pivots and having on its side opposite such ears a biting-face adapted to engage a pipe or tube, substantially as specified.

21. A clan1ping-jaw for the purpose described, consisting of an endless chain, in combination with a supporting-block, side plates secured to and against the faces of said block and projecting beyond the edges of said block and opposite the chain, said chain being adapted to be moved on said block, substantially as specified.

22. A clamping-jaw for the purpose described, consistingof an endless chain, in 00111- bination with a support on which said chain is niovably secured, the several links of the chain being each formed of a block having ears adapted to receive connecting-pivots and having on the side opposite such ears a bitingface adapted to engage a pipe or tube, and rollers secured to the said connecting-pivots and traveling upon the surface of said support, substantially asspecified.

23. A clamping-jaw for the purpose described, consisting of an endless chain, in combination with a supporting-block having side plates projecting beyond the edges of said block, the links of the chain being provided with faces adapted to engage a pipe or tube, and rollers secured to said chain and located between the said chain and the projecting portioris of said side plates, substantially as specifiet ALBERT H. ADAMs, JULIA M. BRrsToL. 

